Thirty Minutes To Midnight
by BrokenxTalon
Summary: It's almost the new year, and while Tenten is struggling with feelings, Neji remains the same. Oh, yeah... and Lee is drunk... very drunk. NejiTen


A/N: Happy New Year to all. (:  
Have a great 2010. Spelling and grammar have only been briefly scanned, so I may go back and fix things later. This is just for fun, so please read and review.  
Also, on a rather special note: I don't claim to know how the Japanese celebrate New Years... but had I been an expert on the matter, I'm not so sure it would have worked. I'm pretty prone to making special fanfics for the holidays, so don't bite my head off. ;) Thank you, half-note, for reminding me of this!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. End of story.

**Thirty Minutes To Midnight****  
Written by BrokenxTalon  
January 1, 2010  
NejiTen**  
"If every building falls  
And all the stars fade  
We'll still be singing this song  
The one they can't take away."

Thirty minutes to midnight on New Year's Eve, the original genin twelve had planned to gather outside the Ichiraku Ramen shop. Of the rookie nine, eight had shown; needless to say, nobody really expected the Uchiha traitor to show up. Of the older nin, two members of Team Gai were having trouble convincing their third to come along.

"I am _really_ not in a _partying_ mood, you two," the Hyuuga growled, narrowing his large, lavender eyes as his teammates tugged at his arms. "Now... kindly release my arms and allow me to go home."

Tenten couldn't help but grin at Neji's very precise diction. Back at the academy, his intensely strict pronunciation of his words had intimidated her. My, how things had changed between them.

"Surely, even your uncle and cousins have plans!" Rock Lee insisted, latching on to his friend's slender wrist. "Hanabi is a genin now, yes?"

Neji sneered, ripping his arm away. "Of course, but I don't see how-- Ah!"

Twenty-seven minutes to midnight, Lee quickly managed to get Neji on his shoulders, and with a firm grip on his ankles (and an infuriated teammate shouting obscenities from above), he took off towards the ramen shop.

Twenty-five minutes to midnight, when Neji had found peace sitting at the bar, and Lee had run off into their crowd of friends, Tenten found herself staring at the Hyuuga.

She sat just a few seats away from him, grimacing. They would be turning nineteen this year, she realized with a tinge of worry. Tenten had known Neji since they were three, and to this very day, she could remember what his forehead looked like without a curse mark. Almost seven years they had known each other.

And yet... something had to be wrong between them. Neji had never shown signs of finding Tenten attractive. The Hyuuga was attractive, certainly; at the academy, he had been the original Sasuke Uchiha. His good looks -- coupled with his cool, determined demeanor -- struck the kunouichi just the right way.

With Gai and Lee's crazy antics, both Tenten and Neji were in desperate need of a calm teammate. They had given each other that much.

Twenty-two minutes to midnight, Tenten came to terms with the fact that she had strong feelings for Neji. Approximately one minute later, she felt determined that Neji did not feel the same way. The icy shinobi had a heart of stone, she believed. Once upon a time, he had exploited his distaste when he told a very promiscuous Ino Yamanaka (who had been flirting with him) to get lost.

Nineteen minutes to midnight, Tenten found herself giggling very lightly when she thought of what attracted her to Neji. She knew she loved his long brown hair, his exotic, big lavender eyes, and his icy personality... but upon examining these things further, one could confuse Neji with an incredibly bitchy woman with bug eyes. Tenten began to wonder, with a laugh, what was wrong with her.

Seventeen minutes to midnight, Neji turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Any particular reason you find nothing funny?"

Disheartened by the cold reply, Tenten shook her head and watched as Naruto devoured a cup of ramen.

Fifteen minutes to midnight, a bitter depression rested upon Tenten's shoulders. Would she and Neji always remain nothing more than friends? Experience had proved that the long-haired brunette did not like specific changes in his life. Was their relationship just another example?

After all, Neji had never shown any signs of wanting a relationship. Tenten had done nothing but drop a few hints every now and then.

Twelve minutes to midnight, a very drunk Lee approached Neji from behind and promptly smacked his firm, flat ass.

"'Eyyy, ba-yu-ti-_ful_..." Lee slurred, showing a very slow change of expression as Neji turned around, even paler and more wide-eyed than usual. As the brunette's thin eyebrows knitted together, Lee gave him a deep frown. "Whad'er'ya doin' stealin' my _girl_, 'Eji?"

Ten minutes to midnight, Neji gentle fisted their teammate across town.

Seven minutes to midnight, Tenten finally came to sit next to the Hyuuga.

"What's your resolution, Tenten?"

His words sparked a bit of shock inside the female. She parted her lips and blinked a few times before replying. "To improve," she answered off the top of her head, soon ripping her eyes away from Neji to think how to carefully speak her following words. "And..." she whispered "... I have really strong feelings for somebody. Hopefully, I can manage to make things work out."

Neji did not seem to acknowledge her words.

Five minutes to midnight, Tenten turned to him again and asked him what his own resolution was. Her voice was dipped in curiosity, but, once again, Neji failed to notice. Only his slight smile could change his face.

"To improve, I suppose. Just like you."

Tenten frowned, but attempted to hide her disappointment from Neji. "Really? You don't have any girls that you're trying to impress?" she tried with a small, worn-out laugh.

Three minutes to midnight, Neji shut his eyes and echoed her laughter. "I don't believe I have to impress anyone," he explained, shaking his head. "So no. I believe I have accomplished much these last few years."

Tenten admitted to a sigh. "So what you're saying... is that you like where you stand right now? You... wouldn't want to improve any relationships?"

One minute to midnight, Naruto and Kiba shouted for everybody to gather around. They would be setting off the fireworks soon.

Neji shrugged and looked away. "Of course I am always trying to improve, Tenten..." he replied, with an almost cautious mood laced around his sharp tongue. "Better than the me of yesterday."

Tenten couldn't help but smile at their team motto.

"Better than the me of yesterday."

Thirty seconds to midnight, a stubborn tear forced its way down her cheek. Neji, with a great deal of nerve, looked at her and laughed.

Wiping away the tear, and the others that would soon follow, Tenten made a face at him. "Why are you laughing at me?" she demanded, rather hurt at the reaction.

"Because you can be so blind," Neji stated, amused, uncrossing his arms and placing an elbow on the bar counter.

Ten seconds to midnight, Tenten scoffed and threw her arms out.

"You are _so_ aggravating, Neji Hyuuga!"

Seven seconds to midnight, Neji shook his head as the countdown to New Year started in the background.

"You need to improve on how you treat me," Tenten spat, trying to forget that she had ever felt _anything_ towards the male.

"Fine."

One second to midnight, an anxious Naruto set off the first round of fireworks.

And as the clock struck the first second of the new year, Neji leaned in and kissed her.


End file.
